This invention relates generally to silencing devices for employment with a high velocity gas stream and more particularly to devices for silencing and for separating entrained liquid from a high velocity exhaust gas stream.
Various devices have been developed for attenuating or silencing the sound of high velocity fluid flow by decreasing the noise level to a reasonable decibel range. For example, such devices have been used on steam relief valves, steam and air vents, exhausts from steam turbines and the like. Examples of patents in this general area are U.S. Pat. No. 2,998,860, issued Sept. 5, 1961, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,454,129, issued July 8, 1969. Other patents such as U.S. Pat. No. 2,580,655, issued Jan. 1, 1952, show devices designed to both silence a stream of gas and remove entrained liquid or solid particles. Improved versions of such silencing and separating devices are constantly being sought after--particularly for treatment of high velocity gas streams carrying fair amounts of entrained liquid particles.